History

Wine making and vine growing go back to colonial times in New Zealand. British
Resident and keen oenologist James Busby was, as early as 1836,
attempting to produce wine at his land in Waitangi.[1]
In 1851 New Zealand's oldest existing vineyard was established by
the Roman Catholic church on land in Hawke's
Bay. Due to economic (the importance of the protein export
industry), legislative (prohibition and temperance) and cultural factors
(overwhelming predominance of beer
and spirit drinking British
immigration), wine was a marginal activity. Dalmatian immigrants at the end of the
nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century brought with them
viticultural
knowledge and set up the nascent NZ wine industry in West and North
Auckland. Typically their vineyards produced sherry and port for the palates of New Zealanders of the
time, and table wine
for their own community.

The three factors that held back the development of the industry
simultaneously underwent subtle but historic changes in the late
1960s and early 1970s. In 1973 Britain entered the European Economic
Community, which required the ending of historic trade terms
for New Zealand meat and dairy products. This led ultimately to a
dramatic restructuring of the agricultural economy. Before this
restructuring was fully implemented, diversification away from
traditional protein products to products with potentially higher
economic returns was explored. Vines, which produce best in low
moisture and low soil fertility environments, were seen as suitable
for areas that had previously been marginal pasture. The end of the 1960s saw the end of
the New Zealand institution of the "six o'clock swill", where pubs were open for
only an hour after the end of the working day and closed all
Sunday. The same legislative reform saw the introduction of BYO (bring your
own) licences for restaurants. This had a profound and unexpected
effect on New Zealanders' cultural approach to wine.

Finally the late 1960s and early 1970s noted the rise of the OE
(Overseas Experience), where young New Zealanders travelled and
lived and worked overseas, predominantly in Europe. The OE as a
cultural phenomenon goes back before this time, but by the 1960s a
distinctly Kiwi
(New Zealand) identity had developed and the passenger jet made the OE experience
possible for a large numbers of New Zealanders who experienced
first-hand the decidedly different wine-drinking cultures of
Europe.

First
steps

In the 1970s, Montana in Marlborough started producing
wines which were labelled by year of production (vintage) and grape variety (in the style of
wine producers in Australia). The first production of a Sauvignon Blanc of great note appears to
have occurred in 1977. Also produced in that year were superior
quality wines of Muller Thurgau, Riesling and Pinotage.

The excitement created from these successes and from the early
results of Cabernet Sauvignon from Auckland and Hawkes Bay launched
the industry with ever increasing investment, leading to more
hectares planted, rising land prices and greater local interest and
pride. Such was the boom that over-planting occurred, particularly
in the "wrong" varietals that fell out of fashion in the early
1980s. In 1984 the then Labour Government paid growers to pull up
vines to address a glut that was damaging the industry. Ironically
many growers used the Government grant not to restrict planting,
but to swap from less economic varieties (such as Müller Thurgau
and other hybrids) to more fashionable varieties (Chardonnay and Sauvignon
Blanc), using the old root stock. The glut was only temporary in
any case, as boom times returned swiftly.

Sauvignon Blanc
breakthrough

New Zealand is
home to what many wine critics consider the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc. Oz Clarke, a well known British wine critic
wrote in the 1990s that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was "arguably
the best in the world" (Rachman). Historically, Sauvignon Blanc has
been used in many French regions in both AOC
and Vin de Pays wine. The most famous had been
France’sSancerre. It is
also the grape used to make Pouilly Fumé.

Following Robert Mondavi's lead in renaming
Californian Sauvignon Blanc Fumé Blanc (partially in
reference to Pouilly Fumé and partially to denote the smokiness of
the wine produced due to its aging in oak) there was a trend for
oaked Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand during the late 1980s. Later
the fashion for strong oaky overtones and also the name waned.

In the 1980s, wineries in New Zealand, especially in the Marlborough region, began producing
outstanding, some critics said unforgettable, Sauvignon Blanc. "New
Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is like a child who inherits the best of
both parents—exotic aromas found in certain Sauvignon Blancs from
the New World and the pungency and limy acidity of an Old World Sauvignon Blanc
like Sancerre from the Loire Valley" (Oldman, p. 152). One
critic said that drinking one's first New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
was like having sex for the first
time (Taber, p. 244). "No other region in the world can match
Marlborough, the northeastern corner of New Zealand's South Island,
which seems to be the best place in the world to grow Sauvignon
Blanc grapes" (Taber, p. 244).

Sometimes the alluvial nature of the soil is important, as in
Hawke's Bay where the deposits known as the Gimblett Gravels
represent such quality characteristics that they are often
mentioned on the wine label. The Gimblett Gravels is an area of
former river bed with very stoney soils. The affect of the stones
is to lower fertility, lower the water table, and act as a heat
store that tempers the cool sea breezes that Hawke's Bay
experiences. This creates a significantly warmer meso-climate.

Another soil type is represented in Waipara, Canterbury. Here there are the Omihi
Hills which are part of the Torlesse group of limestone deposits.
Viticulturalists have planted Pinot Noir here due to
French experience of the affinity between the grape type and the
chalky soil on the Côte-d'Or. Even the greywacke alluvial soils
in the Waipara valley floor has a higher calcium carbonate
concentration as can be witnessed from the milky water that flows
in the Waipara River.

The Kawarau valley has a thin and patchy top soil over a bed
rock is schist. Early vineyards blasted holes into the bare rock of
north facing slopes with miners caps to provide planting holes for
the vines. These conditions necessitate irrigation and make the vines work hard for
nutrients. This, low cropping techniques and the thermal effect of
the rock produces great intensity for the grapes and subsequent
wine.

The wine regions in New Zealand stretch from latitudes 36°S in
the north (Northland) (comparable in latitude to
Jerez, Spain), to 45°S (Central
Otago) in the south (comparable in latitude to Bordeaux,
France). The climate in New Zealand is maritime, meaning that the
sea moderates the weather producing cooler summers and milder
winters than would be expected at similar latitudes in Europe and
North America. Maritime climates tend also to demonstrate higher
variability with cold snaps possible at any time of the year and
warm periods even in the depth of winter. The climate is typically
wetter, but wine regions have developed in rain shadows and in the
east, on the opposite coast from the prevailing moisture-laden
wind. The wine regions of New Zealand tend to experience cool
nights even in the hottest of summers. The effect of consistently
cool nights is to produce fruit which is nearly always high in
acidity.

Industry structure
and production methods

There are a diversity of methods of production of New Zealand
wine. The traditional concept of a vineyard, whereby grapes are
grown on the land surrounding a central simply-owned or
family-owned estate with its own discrete viticultural and wine
making equipment and storage is only one model. While the European
cooperative model (where district or AOC village wine-making takes
place in a centralised production facility) is uncommon, contract
growing of fruit for wine-makers has been a feature of the NZ
industry since the start of the wine making boom in the 1970s.

Indeed a number of well known quality wine producers started out
as contract growers. Alternately, many fledgling producers started
out using solely contract fruit as their own vines matured into
production. Some producers use contract fruit to supplement the
range of varieties they market, even using fruit from other
geographical regions. It is common to see, for example, an Auckland
producer market a "Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc", or a Marlborough
producer market a "Gisborne Chardonnay".

Contract growing is an example of the use of indigenous
agri-industrial methods that pre-date the NZ wine industry. Another
example of the adaptation of NZ methods toward the new industry was
the universal use of stainless steel in wine making adapted from
the norms and standards of the New Zealand dairy industry. There
was an existing small scale industrial infrastructure ready for
wine makers to economically employ. It should be remembered that
while current wine making technology is almost universally sterile
and hygenic world-wide, the natural antibiotic properties of
alcohol production were more heavily relied upon in the 1970s when
the NZ wine industry started.

This pervasive use of stainless steel almost certainly had a
distinctive effect on both New Zealand wines styles and the
domestic palate. The early wines which made a stir internationally
were lauded for the intensity and purity of the fruit in the wine.
Indeed the strength of flavour in the wine favoured bone dry styles
despite intense acidity. While stainless steel did not produce the
intensity of fruit, it allowed for its exploitation. Even today, NZ
white wine tends toward drier end of the spectrum.

Early success in Hawkes Bay in the 1960s by McWilliams, and in
the 1980s by Te Mata Estate, lead to red wine planting and
production concentrating on Cabernet Sauvignon by Corbans,
McWilliams and Mission Estate among others. As viticulture improved
with experience of New Zealand's maritime climate, more Merlot and
other blending wines were employed, with quality and quantity
increasing. This trend continues and can be seen in the NZ Wine
Institute statistics where plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah now account for 2,496
hectares.

Typically "bordeaux blends" come from regions and sub-regions
that are relatively hot and dry for New Zealand. 86% of production
is centred in Hawke's Bay with Waiheke Island also producing some
notable wines. Wines that have made a name for Waiheke Island
include Stonyridge Larose and Goldwater Estate. Wines that typify
the best of Hawkes Bay include Te Mata Estate's Coleraine and
Awatea, Craggy Range's Sophia, Esk Valley's The Terraces and Villa
Maria's Reserve Merlot/Cabernets. In Marlborough there are also a
small number of producers of bordeaux varietal wines.

However, examples of bordeaux blends can be found as far south
as Waipara, in Canterbury
where Pegasus Bay's Maestro has demonstrated a drift away from
Cabernet Sauvignon predominant blends to Merlot predominant with
the addition of Malbec.

In general New Zealand red wine tends to be forward and early
maturing, fruit-driven and with restrained oak. No definitive
regional characteristics have developed in New Zealand, the
principal differences between wines being determined by the
vintage, vineyard and wine-maker's philosophy. However, some
preliminary trends are worth commenting on. Central Otago
particularly Bannockburn pinot noir can have distinct earthy,
mineral and wild thyme notes. Hawkes Bay bordeaux blends have
greater body than other New Zealand reds. Marlborough Pinot Noirs
are notable for their ripeness and
fruitiness.

Pinot
Noir

Pinot Noir is a grape variety whose importance in New Zealand is
greater than the weight of planting. Early in the modern wine
industry (late 1970s early 1980s), the comparatively low annual
sunshine hours to be found in NZ discouraged the planting of red
varieties. But even at this time great hopes were had for Pinot
Noir (see Romeo
Bragato). Initial results were not promising for several
reasons, including the mistaken planting of Gamay and the limited
number of Pinot Noir clones available for planting. One notable
exception was the St Helena 1984 Pinot Noir from the Canterbury
region. This led to the belief for a time that Canterbury might
become the natural home for Pinot Noir in New Zealand. While the
early excitement passed, the Canterbury region has witnessed the
development of Pinot Noir as the dominant red variety. The
sub-region Waipara has some interesting wines. Producers include
Pegasus Bay, Waipara Springs, Muddy Water and Omihi Hills.

The next region to excel with Pinot Noir was Martinborough on
the southern end of the North Island. Several vineyards including
Palliser Estate, Martinborough Vineyards, Murdoch James Estate and
Ata Rangi consistently produced interesting and increasingly
complex wine from Pinot Noir at the end of the 1980s and into the
1990s.

At around this time the first plantings of Pinot Noir in Central
Otago occurred in the Kawarau Gorge. Central Otago had a long (for
New Zealand) history as a producer of quality stone fruit and
particularly cherries. Significantly further south than all other
wine regions in New Zealand, it had been overlooked despite a long
history of grape growing. However, it benefited from being
surrounded by mountain ranges which increased its temperature
variations both between seasons and between night and day making
the climate unusual in the typically maritime conditions in New
Zealand. In recent years Pinot Noir from Central Otago has won
numerous international awards and accolations making it one of New
Zealand's most sought-after varieties.

The first vines were planted using holes blasted out of the
north facing schist slopes of the region, creating difficult,
highly marginal conditions. The first results coming in the mid to
late 1990s excited the interest of British wine commentators,
including Jancis
Robinson and Oz Clarke. Not only did the wines have the
distinctive acidity and abundant fruit of New Zealand wines, but
they demonstrated a great deal of complexity, with aromas and
flavours not common in New Zealand wine and normally associated
with burgundian wine. Producers include Felton Rd, Chard Farm and
Mt Difficulty.

The latest sub-region appears to be Waitaki, on the border
between Otago and Canterbury.

In a recent blind tasting of New Zealand Pinot Noir featured in
Cuisine magazine (issue 119), Michael Cooper reported that of the
top ten wines, five came from Central Otago, four from Marlborough
and one from Waipara. This compares with all top ten wines coming
from Marlborough in an equivalent blind tasting from last year.
Cooper suggests that this has to do with more Central Otago
production becoming available in commercial quantities, than the
relative qualities of the regions' Pinot Noir.

As is the case for other New Zealand wine, New Zealand Pinot
Noir is fruit-driven, forward and early maturing in the bottle. It
tends to be quite full bodied (for the variety), very approachable
and oak maturation tends to be restrained. High quality examples of
New Zealand Pinot Noir are distinguished by savoury, earthy
flavours with a greater complexity.

White

In white wines Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc predominate in
plantings and production. Typically Chardonnay planting predominate
more the further north one goes, however it is planted and produced
in Central Otago. There is no discernible difference in styles for
Chardonnay between the New Zealand wine regions so far. Individual
wine makers and the particular qualities of a vintage are more
likely to determine factors such as malolactic fermentation or the
use of oak for aging.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has been described by some as "alive
with flavors of cut grass and fresh fruits", and others as "cat's
pee on a gooseberry bush" (but not necessarily as a criticism).

Riesling is produced predominantly in Martinborough and south.
The same may be said with less forcefulness about Gewürztraminer
(which is also planted extensively in Gisborne). Pinot Gris is
being planted increasingly, especially in Martinborough and the
South Island. Chenin Blanc was once more important, but the
viticultural peculiarities of the variety, particularly its
unpredictable cropping in New Zealand, have led to its disfavour.
Milton Estate in Gisborne produces an example of this variety.

The market success of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and lately
Pinot Noir mean that these varietals will dominate future
planting.

Sparkling
wine

Excellent quality Methode Traditionelle sparkling wine is
produced in New Zealand. Typically, it was Marlborough that was the
commercial birthplace of New Zealand Methode Traditionelle
sparkling wine. Marlborough still produces a number of high quality
sparkling wines, and has attracted both investment from Champagne
producers (Deutz) and also champanois wine-makers (Daniel Le Brun).
Other sparkling wines from Marlborough include Pelorous (from
Cloudy Bay), and the now venerable Montana/Pernod Ricard brand,
Lindauer.

Wine
regions of New Zealand

Northland

The most northerly wine region in New Zealand, and thus closest
to the equator.

Auckland

This region lies around New Zealand's largest city.

Waiheke
Island

Waiheke Island is east of Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf. For New
Zealand it has a dry and warm meso-climate. Its red wine is
significantly riper and more full bodied. It is home to Stonyridge
Estate that produces a bordeaux blend called the Larose, one of the
most expensive and prestigious New Zealand red wines. Goldwater
Estate and Te Motu also produce on Waiheke.

Waikato/Bay of Plenty

Gisborne

A small wine region to the north of Hawkes Bay. Noted for its
Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. It is also the worlds most easterly
vineyard.

Hawkes
Bay

Hawkes Bay, along with Marlborough, is the centre of gravity for
the New Zealand wine industry; it is New Zealand's oldest wine
producing area and is the country's second largest wine production
region. The premiere area for bordeaux blend reds in New Zealand
and a promising area for Syrah and Malbec. Chardonnay and Sauvignon
Blanc are produced and lately Viognier. A significant sub-region is
the Gimblett Gravels, which has achieved international renown
thanks to a free draining soil and a slightly higher temperature
than the rest of the Hawkes Bay. Producers include Esk Valley,
Villa Maria, Te Mata Estate and Babich.

Wellington/Wairarapa

The Wellington/Wairarapa wine-growing region is one of New
Zealand's smallest, with several sub-regions, which include Gladstone, Martinborough, Masterton, and Opaki.
Martinborough was the original area planted, on the basis of
careful scientific study, in the 1970s, which identified its soils
and climate as perfectly suited to the cultivation of Pinot
Noir. As a consequence, many of the vineyards established there
are older then their counter-parts in the rest of the Wairarapa.
Subtle differences are seen in the wines from the South Wairarapa (which
includes Martinborough), which has more maritime influences, to
those grown further north.

Martinborough

Martinborough is a small wine village located at the foot of New
Zealand’s North Island, in the South Wairarapa, just 1.5 hours
drive from Wellington, the capital city. The combination of
topography, geology, climate and human effort has led to the region
becoming one of New Zealand's premier wine regions in spite of its
small size. Less than 2% of the country's wine production is grown
in Martinborough, yet in shows and competitions, it rates much more
highly. The local Winegrowers organisation states: "Officially New
Zealand's sixth largest region, Wellington/Wairarapa is small in
production terms but makes a large contribution to the country's
quality winemaking reputation."[2].

The vineyards are shielded from the elements by steep mountains,
while the growing season from flowering to harvest is amongst the
longest in New Zealand. Naturally breezy conditions control vine
vigour, creating lower yields of grapes with greater intensity. A
genuine cool climate, with a long, dry autumn in NZ, provides an
ideal ripening conditions for Pinot Noir and other varietals, such
as Riesling, Syrah and Pinot Gris. A small number of wineries are
producing Cabernet Franc of a high standard. Most of the wineries
are located on the area's alluvial river terraces near the township
(the Te Muna, Huangarau and Dry River Regions).

Martinborough wineries are relatively small and typically
family-owned, with the focus on producing quality rather than
quantity. Relatively small yields enable Martinborough winemakers
to devote themselves to handcrafting superior wines. Among the many
long-established wineries, several, including Te Kairanga, Ata
Rangi, Palliser Estate, Murdoch James Estate and Dry River, have
become internationally recognised as premium producers of Pinot
Noir.

Key production figures:

The total Wellington/Wairarapa producing area is 758ha.

The Wairarapa currently has 54 wineries, more than twice the 24
in the region in 1995.

In 2007, the producing area in Wellington/Wairarapa represented
just two percent of the total New Zealand wine producing area.

Nelson

Many people believe Nelson has the best climate in New Zealand,
as it regularly tops the national statistics for sunshine hours,
with an annual average total of over 2400 hours.[3]

Marlborough including
Wairau Valley

In many respects, the Wairau Valley and the districts
surrounding Blenheim are the home of the
modern New Zealand wine industry. It is the largest wine district
in terms of production and area under vines. It has a number of
sub-regions including the Waihopai valley, Renwick and the Spring Creek area.

Canterbury/Waipara

Omihi
Hills and Waipara

The most northerly subregion of Canterbury. In many respects the
most promising Canterbury area for Pinot Noir. Good examples of
Pinot Noir include Mountebank Estate, Omihi Hills, Muddy Water,
Daniel Schuster, Pegasus Bay Primadonna and Torlesse. White wines
of the region include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.

South
of Waipara, Amberley and North of Christchurch

Amberley is a few kilometres south of the Waipara River. It
produced a break-through Riesling for Corbans in the early
eighties, but recently it has diminished in production. St Helena
Estate is a long established vinyard south of the Waimakariri River
and north of Belfast.

West Melton,
Banks Peninsula and Rolleston

Wine makers in this general area include French Farm and Giessen
Estate. Wines are typically white including Chardonnay, Sauvignon
Blanc, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot
Gris.

Central
Otago

The most southerly wine producing region in the world. The
vineyards are also the highest in New Zealand at 200 to 400 metres
above sea level on the steep slopes of lakesides and the edges of
deep river gorges, often also in glacial soils. Central Otago is a
sheltered inland area with a continental microclimate characterised by hot, dry
summers, short, cool autumns and crisp, cold winters.

Trends in production and
export

The initial focus for the industry's export efforts was the
United Kingdom. The late 1970s and early 1980s were not only
pioneering times for production but also marketing and as with many
New Zealand products, wine was only really taken seriously at home
when it was noticed and praised overseas and in particular by
British wine commentators and critics. For much of the history of
New Zealand wine exportation the United Kingdom market, with its
lack of indigenous production, great thirst and sophisticated wine
pallate has been either the principal or only market. In the last
decade the British market's overwhelming importance has eroded;
while still the single largest export market, it now (2006) makes
up only one third of total exports by value, only slightly larger
than the American and Australian markets.[4]Japan is a particularly strong
importer of high-end New Zealand wines: in 2006, it spent NZ$14.44
per liter of wine imported, compared to New Zealand's average price
of NZ$8.87/L.[5]

New Zealand's wine industry has become highly successful in the
international market. To meet the increasing demand for its wines,
the country's vineyard plantings have more than tripled in the ten
years ending in 2005. Sales continue to increase. For example,
"From 2004 to 2005, exports to the United States skyrocketed 81
percent to 1.45 million cases, more than two-thirds of which was
Sauvignon Blanc, still the country's undisputed flagship wine."

The trend at midpoint in 2008 is an increased recognition for
the small artisan wineries. These small wineries represent over 80%
of New Zealand's total producers and are located throughout all
wine regions.

Praise and
criticism

Cloudy Bay Vineyards set a new
standard for New World Sauvignon Blanc and was arguably responsible
for the huge increase in interest in such wines, particularly in
the United Kingdom. Louis
Vuitton Moët Hennessy, a French luxury brand conglomerate, now
owns a controlling interest in Cloudy Bay.

Following on from the early success of Sauvignon Blanc, New
Zealand has been building a strong reputation with other styles;
Chardonnay, Cabernet/Merlot blends, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and
Syrah to name a few.

Jancis Robinson observes, when commenting on NZ Pinot Noir that,
while "comparisons with Burgundy are inevitable, New Zealand Pinot
Noir is rapidly developing its own distinctive style, often with
deeper colour, purer fruit and higher alcohol. While regional
differences are apparent, the best wines do have Burgundy’s elusive
complexity, texture and “pinosity” and are capable of ageing". She
goes on to say "It is a testament to the skill and craft of New
Zealand producers that poor examples are infrequently
encountered".

Statistics

New
Zealand wine production

Year

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Productive vine area (hectares)

6,110

6,610

7,410

7,580

9,000

10,197

11,648

13,787

15,800

18,112

21,002

22,616

25,355

29,310

Total Production (millions of litres)

56.4

57.3

45.8

60.6

60.2

60.2

53.3

89.0

55.0

119.2

102.2

133.2

147.6

205.2

The National grape harvest has increased dramatically in the last
decade.